SKU: 00840369421883 20 PickWick Crocus-- Perfect for Fall Planting!!

Plant Features & Growing Information

• Growth Habit: Compact, upright to tufted, corm-forming perennial with narrow, grass-like leaves and goblet-shaped flowers. Plants generally reach approximately 4–6 inches tall and gradually form small clumps as the corms multiply.

• Bloom Color: Spectacular silvery-white to pale lavender flowers heavily striped and feathered with deep lilac-purple to violet-purple. Brilliant golden-orange stamens and stigmas create a beautiful contrast in the center of each blossom.

• Bloom Time: Typically blooms in early to mid-spring, often following the smaller species crocuses. Exact flowering time depends on winter temperatures and climate.

• Foliage: Produces narrow, dark green, grass-like leaves featuring a characteristic silvery-white stripe down the center.

• Fragrance: Little to no noticeable fragrance. Crocus flowers may occasionally have a faint scent, but Pickwick is grown primarily for its spectacular striped flowers rather than fragrance.

• Fruit Flavor: Pickwick Crocus is not grown for edible fruit. Pollinated flowers may eventually form small seed capsules, but these have no culinary value or desirable fruit flavor.

• Culinary Uses: Not recommended for consumption. Pickwick is an ornamental spring crocus and should not be confused with Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus), whose stigmas are harvested to produce the culinary spice saffron. Pickwick's flowers, foliage, corms, and seeds should not be used as food or seasoning.

• Medicinal Uses: Pickwick Crocus has no established safe medicinal use. Although various Crocus species have been investigated for naturally occurring compounds, this ornamental cultivar should not be used in homemade herbal preparations or remedies.

• Possible Toxicity to Pets: Potentially harmful if eaten. Spring-flowering Crocus species can cause gastrointestinal upset in cats and dogs, including drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Keep corms and plants away from pets that are likely to chew or dig them up.

• Possible Toxicity to Humans: Ornamental crocus corms and other plant parts should not be eaten. Keep unplanted corms away from young children and avoid confusing ornamental crocuses with edible plants. Wearing gloves while planting is a sensible precaution for individuals with sensitive skin.

• Important Safety Distinction: Pickwick is a spring-flowering true Crocus, not Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale). Autumn Crocus contains colchicine and can cause much more serious poisoning. The two plants should never be confused.

• Wildlife Value: Early flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other emerging pollinators when relatively few other garden plants are blooming.

• Deer & Rabbit Resistance: Not reliably deer- or rabbit-resistant. Hungry animals may browse flowers and foliage.

• Rodent Resistance: Not reliably resistant. Squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and voles may dig up or consume crocus corms. Pickwick's larger corms may sometimes withstand garden disturbance better than smaller crocus species, but protection may still be necessary where rodents are numerous.

• Other Pests & Diseases: Generally easy to grow and relatively disease-resistant. Rodents and birds can cause damage. Corm rot may occur when planted in poorly drained or constantly wet soil.

• USDA Planting Zones: Generally recommended for USDA Zones 3–8. Pickwick performs particularly well where winters provide a dependable period of cold temperatures.

• Sun Preferences: Performs best in full sun to light partial shade. Approximately 4–6 or more hours of direct sunlight during the active growing season encourages abundant flowering and healthy corm development.

• Growing Beneath Trees: Excellent beneath deciduous trees and shrubs because crocuses complete much of their active growth before the trees develop a dense canopy of leaves.

• Drought Tolerance: Moderately drought tolerant once dormant. Plants appreciate regular moisture during fall root development and their late-winter/spring growing period but prefer considerably drier conditions after the foliage dies back for summer.

• Soil Preferences: Prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Sandy and loamy soils are excellent, but other soil types can be suitable if drainage is good. Avoid low areas where water remains around the corms.

• Growth Rate: Moderate. Newly planted corms establish during fall and produce flowers the following spring. Established corms can gradually multiply through offsets.

• Naturalizing Ability: Very good under suitable conditions. Corms can multiply over the years, eventually creating increasingly large clumps and colorful spring colonies.

• When to Prune: Pickwick Crocus requires virtually no traditional pruning. Remove faded flowers if desired, but allow the leaves to remain until they have naturally turned yellow and died back.

• How to Prune: After flowering, leave all healthy green foliage untouched. The leaves manufacture and return energy to the corm for the following year's flowers. Once they are completely yellow or brown, the foliage can be gently pulled away or trimmed at ground level.

• Growing in Lawns: Pickwick is excellent for naturalizing in lawns. Do not mow the foliage until it has completely yellowed and died back. Cutting green leaves too early can weaken the corms and reduce future flowering.

• Landscape Uses: Excellent for flower borders, rock gardens, woodland edges, cottage gardens, naturalized lawns, pathway edging, mass plantings, pollinator gardens, and spring containers.

Planting Instructions from Bulbs into the Ground

Botanical Note: Pickwick Crocus is commonly sold and described as a flower bulb, but botanically it grows from a corm. The following instructions apply to planting these corms directly into the garden.

• Best Planting Time: Plant Pickwick Crocus corms during fall, generally September through November, before the ground freezes. Planting during cool fall weather allows roots to develop before winter and provides the cold period needed for spring flowering.

• Choose the Location: Select an area receiving full sun to light partial shade during late winter and spring. Excellent drainage is particularly important.

• Prepare the Soil: Loosen the planting area approximately 6–8 inches deep. Remove weeds, stones, and compacted material. Compost can be incorporated into poor soil, but avoid creating a planting area that remains excessively wet.

• Planting Depth: Plant corms approximately 3–4 inches deep in typical garden conditions. Measure planting depth from the soil surface to the bottom of the corm.

• Corm Orientation: Place each corm with its pointed or tapered end facing upward and its flatter root-producing side downward. If you cannot determine which side is up, plant the corm on its side; the shoot will usually correct its direction as it grows.

• Spacing: Space corms approximately 2–4 inches apart. Close groupings create the most impressive floral displays while still providing enough room for the corms to multiply.

• Plant in Groups: For maximum impact, plant Pickwick Crocus in groups of 10–25 or more corms rather than individually. Irregular clusters produce a more natural appearance than perfectly straight rows.

• Backfill: Cover the corms with soil and gently firm the surface to remove large air pockets. Avoid heavily compacting the soil.

• Water After Planting: Water thoroughly immediately after planting to settle the soil and stimulate root development.

• Fall & Winter Watering: Natural rainfall is usually sufficient in many climates. During unusually dry weather, provide occasional moisture. Avoid keeping the soil constantly wet.

• Mulching: Apply approximately 1–2 inches of mulch after planting if desired. Mulch helps moderate soil temperatures and conserve moisture, but avoid overly thick layers that keep the soil excessively wet.

• Fertilizing: Crocuses generally require little fertilizer. In poor soils, apply a light amount of balanced bulb fertilizer in fall or as growth emerges. A light compost top-dressing can also provide nutrients.

• Protecting Corms from Squirrels: If squirrels or other rodents frequently dig up bulbs, cover newly planted areas with wire mesh or hardware cloth until the soil settles and the corms establish. Bulb cages can also provide long-term protection.

• Winter Chilling: Pickwick Crocus performs best where corms receive a natural period of cool winter temperatures. In very warm climates with little winter chilling, flowering and long-term perennial performance may be less reliable.

Seasonal & Overwintering Care

• Fall: Plant corms and water them thoroughly. Root development begins underground as soil temperatures cool.

• Winter: Established corms remain safely underground and generally require little attention. Maintain good drainage and avoid consistently saturated soil.

• Late Winter/Early Spring: Narrow striped leaves and flower buds begin emerging as temperatures moderate.

• Spring: Large purple-striped flowers open during sunny weather and often close at night or during cold, cloudy conditions. Bees and other early pollinators may visit the flowers.

• After Flowering: Allow foliage to continue growing. Do not tie, braid, mow, or prematurely remove the leaves.

• Late Spring: Foliage gradually yellows as nutrients and carbohydrates are transferred back into the corm.

• Summer: Once foliage has completely died back, the corm enters dormancy. Relatively dry soil during this period is ideal.

• Dividing Established Clumps: If flowering begins to decline because plants have become overcrowded, lift the dormant corms after the foliage dies back. Separate healthy offsets and replant them during fall.

• Long-Term Care: Pickwick Crocus can remain in the ground for many years. Allowing foliage to die naturally, maintaining good drainage, and protecting corms from rodents are among the most important steps for dependable yearly flowering.

Additional Growing Tips

Pickwick Crocus is especially striking when planted alongside white crocuses, golden-yellow crocuses, miniature daffodils, snowdrops, and blue grape hyacinths. The deep purple striping on its pale petals provides beautiful contrast with solid-colored spring bulbs.

For an eye-catching naturalized display, scatter a handful of corms across the planting area and plant them approximately where they land. This creates irregular drifts that look much more natural than rigid rows.

Pollinator Garden Tip: Because Pickwick flowers early in the season, it can provide useful pollen and nectar to bees emerging on warm late-winter and early-spring days.

Lawn Planting Tip: When naturalizing Pickwick Crocus in turf, wait until the crocus foliage has completely yellowed before mowing. This gives the corms enough time to store energy for next year's flowers.

Wildlife Tip: Crocuses are much more vulnerable to squirrels and other rodents than daffodils. Where digging is a persistent problem, consider interplanting Pickwick Crocus among daffodils or protecting the crocus corms with wire mesh.

Safety Reminder: Pickwick is an ornamental spring crocus and is not Saffron Crocus. Do not harvest its stigmas, flowers, foliage, or corms for culinary use.